Merry Christmas

Recently, I have found myself asking the question – “What is it that makes an institution/ministry healthy?” I have often looked at Black Forest Academy and been impressed by the leadership and the inherent health of the organization despite the transient community and lack of major funding.  I have been around ministry circles, churches and Christian institutions my entire life and am painfully aware of what an incredible blessing this is.  While BFA is far from perfect there is an overall health that intrigues me. What brings about this kind of health? What are the leadership characteristics that are being modeled and most importantly what can I learn from them? 

The Sunday School answer is “Jesus” and of course this is true BUT the leadership of any institution has to be willing to put Him first, not just in word but in deed. 

I believe that part of what makes BFA so unique is the fact that no one is paid and we are all dependent on a foreign government to allow us the opportunity of serving.  Believe me, it is something that I have often wished weren’t true but I have come to the conclusion that this is one of the primary reasons for the health of BFA.  Each staff member has a call and has chosen to live dependent on Jesus and the generosity of others to follow that call.  What it forces us to do, hopefully, is to live with our hands wide open, not grasping at security, pay checks, or positions.  Don’t misunderstand me, I am NOT saying that this can’t happen with a paycheck!  I have seen it, and am so thankful for those examples, but sadly it is rare.

Support raising alone, however, does not necessarily make for a healthy institution.  At BFA every staff member knows that the longest they will be there is five years and then they will have to leave for a year.  Each person is valuable and yet each person can and will be replaced at some point.  This reality is hard at times.  Our staff invests so much to get there and then so much once they arrive.  And while we know the investment is eternal, let’s be honest, we all like to think of ourselves as irreplaceable.  This year for example there is a large number of new staff that don’t know the impact and legacy of those that have left but had invested 10 or more years at BFA. I believe this reality is crucial in keeping each one of us humble and reminding us that God allows us the privilege of “partnering” with him but His work is not dependent on us.  On the one hand this is a hard pill to swallow, on the other hand it is incredible freeing! This reality preempts any self preservation or promoting and allows the focus to remain on following our Savior and being a support system for the families that are on the front lines. 

This question has led me directly to the Christmas story.  As the days we are living in seem to grow darker and evil often appears to be winning, I think it is normal and even human to look for security in these uncertain times.  But I don’t believe this response to be Biblical or part of the Christmas spirit.  In the most uncertain of all times, God sent His One and Only Son to earth as a baby.  Talk about radical living.  He shows us what it means to live, not grasping, but open-handed.  Willing to do whatever it is the Father asks.  Not seeking position, security or recognition but living in absolute surrender to the One who sent Him so that you and I could know true freedom in Him. 

This Christmas, I am thankful for a Savior who “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Phil. 2:6-8)

This is the meaning of Christmas, our Savior did not hold on to position or security because of his love for YOU and for ME!  And that obedience and love cost Him everything!  How could I offer Him anything less than my all this Christmas season?

Remembering With a Grateful Heart

The month of November provides us with multiple opportunities to remember. 

November 1 is overlooked by most in the States but in Europe it is a holiday, All Saints Day.  A day set aside to remember those that have gone before us.  

November 11 is Remembrance Day in many parts of the world, a day set aside to remember those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom.  

And then (for those of us from the States) there is Thanksgiving.   

At first glance it feels like it doesn’t fit.  But look again.  Can you really be grateful if you don’t remember?  It is a command that is repeated over and over in Scripture.  

This week I have had multiple opportunities to remember with a grateful heart.  October 31 marked the 496th anniversary of Martin Luther bravely nailing his 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenburg, sparking a firestorm that set the Western world on fire.  One man, who was obedient and courageous enough to stand for truth changed the course of history.  But the reality is that he was standing on the shoulders of many who had gone before and was followed by many other courageous men and women.   

Calvin's Church, Geneva, St. Pierre

In the last month I have had the amazing privilege of worshiping in John Calvin’s church in Geneva with a friend from NY and last Sunday our middle school staff was able to worship at Ulrich Zwingli’s church after attending a conference for international schools held in Zurich.  What an incredible opportunity to remember with a thankful heart God’s faithfulness through the centuries!

Zwingli's Church, Zurich, Grossmünster

At Calvin’s church I found myself singing hymns that to me were “old” but then realizing that they were written roughly 200 years after Calvin.  The Grossmünster (Zwingli’s church) was commissioned by Charlemagne and construction was finished around 1220.  Zwingli became the pastor a year after Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the church door and helped bring the Reformation to Switzerland.  What a rich legacy these three men left behind.

 

I was able to remember with gratitude this week the life and legacy of Abraham, a friend of God, as we studied him in Bible class.

I was able to remember with gratitude the missionaries who have gone before as my 7th graders presented their missionary biographies to our class. 

I was able to remember with gratitude that the God of Abraham, Luther and William Carey is the same God that I worship.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever!

I was able to remember with gratitude those whose shoulders I am privileged to stand on, those who have challenged me to courageously obey Jesus in all areas of my life.  

I am also reminded with a grateful heart that it does not stop with me.   

I believe that one of the greatest lies we can believe is that it is our life and our choices don’t have consequences that reach far beyond us. In reality our choices have an incredible ripple effect for good or for bad. I pray that I can live a life of gratitude and can courageously obey Jesus.  I pray that my life will be lived in such a way that others will see Him and seek to know Him more.  I don’t need or want the “fame” of being a Luther, Calvin or Zwingli but what about one of the nameless men and women who made it possible for them to change the course of history?  Could Jesus use me in that way?  

I pray that I will always remember with gratitude and that my obedience will challenge those He has brought into my classroom and into my life to courageously follow Him with their whole hearts.  There is no greater calling.

“When once God’s Redemption comes to the point of obedience in a human soul, it always creates.  If I obey Jesus Christ, the Redemption of God will rush through me to other lives, because behind the deed of obedience is the Reality of the Almighty God. (My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, November 2)  

Martin Luther Picture - http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/files/2010/10/Luther-nailing-theses-560x538.jpg

Locker Irony

“Miss Key, will you help me with my locker?”  This is a refrain I heard daily the first two weeks of school.  Somehow, I earned a reputation as the locker-opener (I now know several of their combinations by heart :)).  Our staff room is just outside the six grade lockers and hearing the stress in their voices between classes the first few days of school took me straight back to my middle school days.  Who doesn’t remember the stress of being a new student in a new school? While helping a student open up their locker may not seem like a big deal to you, the irony of my new reputation has made me smile.  

As a 7^th grade missionary kid (who fit the stereotypes) straight off the field attending a private school (on scholarship) my culture shock and adjustment were huge!  I struggled to find my place among kids who had name brand clothes (name brands I didn’t even know, let alone owned), knew all the current pop culture (I was a good 4 years behind), and had all the right friends.  One of the things that I never was able to figure out was my locker.  We didn’t have them in my school in France.  I tried and tried and finally gave up.  So my entire 7^th grade year I never once opened my locker and lugged my text books from class to class and then home at night.  I was too shy and too much out of my element to ask for help and if anyone did notice, they didn’t offer to help.  

What a joy it is to be able to help these students adjusting to middle school, some of them adjusting to Germany for the first time, do a simple task like opening their locker.  The fun thing is to see that the question has been asked less and less as the kids figure it out and learn how to do it for themselves.  When/if they return to North America that will be one less stress/adjustment they have to experience.  These moments remind me of His care and faithfulness, even in the little details of life. And the fact that He can use me to help in this small way is truly a gift. 

Worship

Worship  It is a word that we, as Christians, use a lot.  But what does it really mean?  Where/When does it happen?  Who participates in it?  How does one go about it?  

In no way am I prepared to answer these questions but they are questions worth asking. 

Merriam-Webster defines worship as "honoring or revering a divine being or to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor or devotion."  It comes from the Middle English worshipe: worthiness, respect, reverence paid to a divine being.  

Just this week I have worshipped in a variety of settings.  

                                    I worshipped at a camp meeting in NJ that is 144 years old.  

 

Malaga Camp, NJ

                                     I worshipped at a wedding that truly honored God in every way.  

Tim & Michelle's wedding at LCC, NY

      I worshipped at a boys camp in the heart of the Adirondacks run by dear family friends. 

Deerfoot Camp

                                            I worshipped on the Jersey shore at a Bible conference. 

Harvey Cedars Bible Conference, NJ

All of these settings are very different, from the age group to the setting, but all have shown "extravagant respect and honor," not just for some divine being, but for the One true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

I quickly associate the word worship with Sunday morning in a church building.  But it can happen anywhere, anytime! Because the God that we worship is not confined to the four walls of a church.  Praise Him!

This Sunday (August 18) I will worship Him as I board a plane for Germany.  By stepping on that plane, I am declaring my respect, honor and devotion to the One who called me.  By saying goodbye once again and stepping out in faith I am acknowledging that He alone is worthy.  This thought comforts me. Instead of seeing my departure as a have to or ought to or even want to, I desire to see it as my spiritual act of worship (Rom 12:1). 

What is He asking of you?  Whatever it is...He is worthy of your obedience and of your worship.  The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is not owed worship simply because He is a divine being but because HE IS WORTHY!  No other god/person/thing can claim that.  There are a lot of things and people that can be worshipped but there is only ONE who is worthy of our worship. 

I love this quote by William Temple (Archbishop of Canterbury)

To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.

TCK PFO

I recently found myself spending two weeks in a remote part of central NY with 65 strangers.  Of those 65 at least four nationalities were represented and our destinations included over ten countries on four continents. It almost sounds like the makings of a reality TV show except our purpose was not to win a cash prize (although for those of us fund raising that would have been a blessing :)). Our purpose was to become better equipped to follow the calling God has put on our lives. Every year the Association of Christian Schools International hosts a two week long Third Culture Kid (TCK) Pre-Field Orientation (PFO) for those heading overseas to teach.  The staff had well over 100 years of experience between them, having served (and serving) in schools in Senegal, Ivory Coast, Romania, Philippines, Southeast Asia, Ecuador and Ch*na.  The sessions covered everything from transition, culture shock, resiliency, international classrooms, third-culture kids, mentoring, purity, personality profiles and language acquisition to name a few. 

We represented Europe and Central Asia

What a blessing and encouragement it was to be surrounded by those who had also chosen this life.  A life filled with blessings and privileges but also a life of challenges, transition and goodbyes.  On our last evening together we were treated to an international banquet with food from the different countries represented.  It happened to fall on July 4^th.  I felt a sense of awe as we sang our national anthem together.  At my table alone people were headed to Colombia, Ch*na, Central Asia, Hungary, and of course Germany.  I am thankful for a country that was founded on Biblical principles and that has historically been the leading force behind missions.  While there are many things today about our country that need repentance and prayer this is one area that is worth celebrating.  I am thankful for those who have gone before and for those willing to still go and share the Good News with students all over the world.  I am thankful for those who are willing to help train and equip me and others so that we can be better Christian educators. I am thankful for those who are sending and praying so that I (and others) can follow the Lord’s leading and serve missionary kids and their families.  As I look ahead to the coming weeks of packing, travel and saying goodbyes and hellos. I feel thankful for the privilege of living this life. 

Relationally rich

I laughed as I heard myself say: “Well, tomorrow I am driving through TN and connecting with one friend from Germany and one friend from MS.”  Doesn't everyone have friends from MS and Germany who now live in TN? :) Having grown up overseas my world has always been fairly big, but it just continues to get bigger.  There are parts of that reality that are overwhelming and the lack of roots is hard but even on the worst day I wouldn't trade it.  The places that I have had the privilege of calling “home” and the amazing people that the Lord has put in my life make me realize how rich I am.  We are not made to be alone.  The image of God is seen clearly in our desire and longing for community and fellowship.  As I have traveled I have been reminded of the blessings of the relationships that Jesus has given me.   

In April I was able to attend two retreats.  At the first retreat I was able to reconnect with some sweet ladies that I met 7.5 years ago at a retreat where we “happened” to sit at the same table.  The Lord knit our hearts together in a special way that I don’t think any of us imagined.   

Me, Arla and Stephanie. We missed you Kerri, Amy and Susan!

At the second retreat I was asked to share my testimony and was blessed by this sweet group of women. 

I have also recently reconnected with a couple of people from my days at Wesley Biblical Seminary. I thank the Lord for my years there and the relationships that He formed that had also been very special to me. It was encouraging to see how the Lord was using them in their places of ministry.  I was also able to reconnect with a dear friend from BFA who is now living in TN. What a blessing to see someone from that world on this side of the ocean.

I am blessed to belong to a fairly large extended family.  I have 22 first cousins. While it has been wonderful to spend time over the last two years with my European cousins, (who live/serve in France, Albania and Hungary) I have enjoyed spending some time with my American cousins and family.  What fun to be in Wilmore with cousins, an aunt and uncle and my grandfather.  And I am now within driving distance of my GA grandparents and family.  Two weeks ago I had the privilege of being at the wedding of my cousin, Lydia.  It was a beautiful Jesus filled wedding. What a treat to get to spend a long weekend with my grandparents!

My cousin Lydia and her new husband Josh

My sweet grandparents

 

As I start preparing to return to Germany at the end of the summer I pray that the Lord will continue to build on already existing relationships and lead me to the new ones that He has for me. 

He is Risen!

There is nothing quite like Holy Week to help put everything into perspective. I don't serve a God who is far off and is not interested in His people. I serve a God who loves me SO much that He was willing to send His Son to take on flesh and to die for me. By conquering death and the grave, He set me free! And the best news of all, is that this glorious Easter message is not only for me but for the WHOLE WORLD!! He died and rose again so that the world would know true life, hope and victory in Him!

I recently had the privilege of hearing The Seven Last Words of Christ, a sacred cantata by a Frenchman Theodore Dubois. The music and words took me straight to the foot of the cross. The closing chorus has stayed with me all week.

Christ, we do all adore Thee, and we do praise Thee forever; 
For on the holy cross has Thou the world from sin redeemed.

His death and resurrection redeemed the world! Our Redeemer LIVES! What a glorious message we have to share with the world.  

This following video, I believe, is a preview of heaven. When every tribe, every nation, every tongue will worship His holy Name, who triumphed over death and the grave and LIVES so that we may have life everlasting through Him! How great is our God!

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Courage

How can it be the middle of March already? The last few weeks have flown by.  

Here are just a few of the events of the last 6 weeks:

• Packed up our belongings, said goodbye to NY and headed south.
•  Worked tirelessly on unpacking boxes and getting settled.
•  Took an online education class and was able to finish well in spite of the craziness of life.
•  Enjoyed attending part of Avon Park Campmeeting in FL. What a blessing to be in a place with so many world changers and to reconnect with some old friends.

TEAM Appointees

• Spent a week at TEAM headquarters with some amazing people who are following Jesus whole-heartedly!
• Spent a wonderful week in NJ speaking at two different churches. Blessed beyond measure to reconnect with precious friends and make many new friends.  I spoke five different times and the Lord was so faithful to give me what I needed right as I needed it. What a blessing to be around those who are serving Jesus faithfully right where He has called them.  

New friends and old friends

In the midst of boxes, goodbyes, travel, family health scares, etc. I asked Jesus for a word or a verse for this new year.  He was so gracious and gave me a word immediately: COURAGE. What a gift! How grateful I am for a God who meets us in the midst of the craziness and emotions of life.  And it has proven to be a wonderful word.

Maybe it is the transition, maybe it is not knowing what the next day will hold OR maybe it is knowing all too well what the coming months will hold in terms of more transition, packing and goodbyes.  But for whatever reason I have needed courage in a new way this year.  I am so thankful that the Lord gave me that moment of hearing Him whisper in my ear that He was asking me to be courageous this year.  He knew what I needed!  As always He is faithful!

I admit to feeling like I imagine the Israelites felt once they arrived on the other side of the Red Sea. God had worked miraculously, delivering them from slavery and from Pharaoh’s army.  But as I recently watched the story re-enacted on the mini-series The Bible I was struck anew by the story.  

What must it have felt like in those moments, hours, days after the Red Sea?   

Yes, God had delivered them.   

Yes, God had performed miracles.   

Yes, God had given them great promises for the future.   

But what now? What were their days to look like on the other side?  What did God have in mind for their immediate future?

Parting of the Red Sea from The Ten Commandments (1956)

The last few months have been filled with hard days, many times it seemed as if we were standing on the shores of the Red Sea waiting for God to act and time and again He did!  He delivered, He provided, He got us through.  And here we are on the other side of the Red Sea, saying OK Jesus what now?  I have found myself asking Him for courage to face these days.  

Courage to face the known and the unknown.

Courage to do the things that I like to do and the things that I don’t like to do.  

Courage to raise support.

Courage to trust Him more. 

Courage to live by faith.  

Courage to continue to say Yes to Jesus in all areas of my life.  

And yet, just as He made a way in the wilderness and provided for the Israelites every step of the way I know He will do the same for all His children. including me.  He is the God who delivers, directs and provides! What a gift, what a promise! O for grace to trust Him more!

 

Saying Goodbye

One would think that after being raised as a missionary kid and moving more times than I can count I would be good at this. 

Surely after 15+ moves I would be good at the packing up, saying goodbye, transition, etc.

And yet…

I find myself at a loss once again. 

How does one say goodbye to a place where I have a history (something that I have never really had)?

How does one say goodbye to people who have known and loved me and my family for 18+ years?

How does one say goodbye to an area of the country that you have grown to love?

How does one say goodbye to a church and a home?

The reality is there is no good way to say goodbye.  And honestly, if I have learned anything from all my moves it is that you actually can’t fully say goodbye in the moment. 

It is impossible to fully absorb all that is happening in the moment.

Impossible to know what life will look like after.

Impossible to know the void. 

Impossible to know the joys that await.

Everytime I say goodbye I realize how inadequately I do it.  Although I am not sure there is a “right” way.  You learn early on some of the things that help you.  I have learned to relish the last weeks/ days.  The drives, the services, loved ones stopping by, favorite spots, etc.   Because if you wait until the very end life is too crazy and emotions are too high, so soak in the last “normal” days before the craziness hits.  And yet, it still always takes me by surprise. 

As I walk through this again and prepare to do it once more this summer as I return to Germany, I ask Jesus again for His grace and strength to walk this road well.  I have found myself asking Him to keep my heart tender even though at times it seems easier to harden.  While there is grief there is also hope and the many comforts He provides along the way.  Goodbyes remind me that I was not made for this earth.  We were not created to say goodbyes.  Our true home is with Him.  And while my humanity is crying out for a home, a place to settle, a place to call my own, I am thankful for the reminder that this world is not my home.  We are supposed to be “homesick.”  So as I say goodbyes again, I am thankful to the One who holds all my tomorrows.  I am thankful for the reminder that I belong to Him.  And that while following Him is not always easy, there is no better place to be.